Adjacent Words

speculum definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a mirror (especially one made of polished metal) for use in an optical instrument
2: a medical instrument for dilating a bodily passage or cavity in order to examine the interior

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural specula; also -lums) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin, mirror, from specere Date: 15th century 1. an instrument inserted into a body passage especially to facilitate visual inspection or medication 2. a drawing or table showing the relative positions of all the planets (as in an astrological nativity) 3. a patch of color on the secondaries of most ducks and some other birds

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. specula) 1 Surgery an instrument for dilating the cavities of the human body for inspection. 2 a mirror, usu. of polished metal, esp. in a reflecting telescope. 3 Ornithol. a lustrous coloured area on the wing of some birds, esp. ducks. Phrases and idioms: speculum-metal an alloy of copper and tin used as a mirror, esp. in a telescope. Etymology: L, = mirror, f. specere look

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Speculum Spec"u*lum, n.; pl. L. Specula, E. Speculum. [L., fr. specere to look, behold. See Spy.] 1. A mirror, or looking-glass; especially, a metal mirror, as in Greek and Roman arch[ae]ology. 2. A reflector of polished metal, especially one used in reflecting telescopes. See Speculum metal, below. 3. (Surg.) An instrument for dilating certain passages of the body, and throwing light within them, thus facilitating examination or surgical operations. 4. (Zo["o]l.) A bright and lustrous patch of color found on the wings of ducks and some other birds. It is usually situated on the distal portions of the secondary quills, and is much more brilliant in the adult male than in the female. Speculum metal, a hard, brittle alloy used for making the reflectors of telescopes and other instruments, usually consisting of copper and tin in various proportions, one of the best being that in which there are 126.4 parts of copper to 58.9 parts of tin, with sometimes a small proportion of arsenic, antimony, or zinc added to improve the whiteness.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Speculum Spec"u*lum, n.; pl. L. Specula, E. Speculum. [L., fr. specere to look, behold. See Spy.] 1. A mirror, or looking-glass; especially, a metal mirror, as in Greek and Roman arch[ae]ology. 2. A reflector of polished metal, especially one used in reflecting telescopes. See Speculum metal, below. 3. (Surg.) An instrument for dilating certain passages of the body, and throwing light within them, thus facilitating examination or surgical operations. 4. (Zo["o]l.) A bright and lustrous patch of color found on the wings of ducks and some other birds. It is usually situated on the distal portions of the secondary quills, and is much more brilliant in the adult male than in the female. Speculum metal, a hard, brittle alloy used for making the reflectors of telescopes and other instruments, usually consisting of copper and tin in various proportions, one of the best being that in which there are 126.4 parts of copper to 58.9 parts of tin, with sometimes a small proportion of arsenic, antimony, or zinc added to improve the whiteness.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. [L.] 1. Mirror, looking-glass. 2. Reflector.